Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Energy and Buildings, cilt.330, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
The growing demand for sustainable building materials highlights the importance of enhancing the hygrothermal performance of mortars, a key component in construction. This study investigated the use of diatomite (in powder and gravel forms) and phase change materials (PCM) as sand substitutes to improve mortar properties. These innovations target construction professionals seeking to reduce energy consumption and improve building efficiency. The research consisted of two phases. The first involved experimental optimization of standard mortar by replacing traditional sand with varying proportions of diatomite powder and gravel. Mortar samples were tested under controlled temperature and humidity using the ZL-7918A apparatus, with temperature fluctuations recorded every 10 min over 7 h (420 min). The results showed significant improvements in thermal performance, with diatomite gravel outperforming powder. Notably, mortar with 80 % diatomite gravel (MDG8) reduced heat flow by 31 % compared to ordinary mortar (OM). The second phase employed numerical modeling using the finite element method (FEM) to validate experimental findings. The model demonstrated strong agreement with experimental results, with a relative error of less than ± 5 %. Additionally, the study analyzed three hollow brick walls with different finishes: OM, MDG8, and MDG8 with PCM (MDG8PCM). The numerical results revealed that the wall with the MDG8PCM finishing layer contributed to a 10 % reduction in thermal flux compared to a wall with the MDG8 finishing layer. This novel approach, combining experimental and numerical methods, provides valuable insights for sustainable construction practices, offering effective solutions to improve thermal regulation in buildings.